r/isb_admissions

Hey everyone,

Did my PGP at ISB a few years back, and since then I've been pulled onto the admissions interview panel three times. So I've seen this process from both sides now, as an applicant and as an interviewer.

No secret formula; don't trust anyone who claims otherwise. But after sitting through that many interviews, you start noticing patterns: what makes a panel actually lean in, and where strong candidates quietly trip themselves up.

Quick background: went through the PGP, then years in strategy consulting and industry before starting my own venture. Ask me about:

• What the panel is really evaluating
• Non-obvious mistakes in essays and interviews
• Positioning yourself better
• What a genuine "why MBA" answer sounds like vs a rehearsed one
• Life at ISB once you're in
• Whether the ROI holds up

I'll check back through the day and answer everything. Feel free to ask your questions.

Lets go back a year, i cleared CAT exam with 97%ile
My profile rn:
10th :7.2 cgpa
12th: 88%
Grad : Commerce 64%
Workex: 4 year into family business , 2 month in top fmcg

I got 97%ile in CAT exam and got calls from Mdi, iift, nmims (only talking about t1) , converted none of them due to my acads.

This year,ik i can crack above 99%ile easily but will not get calls due to same mentioned reason (prob will get interview calls but direct convert is not possible)

So I’m aiming a backup plan as I’m 26 rn and want to get into a college or a job. The backup plan is

1. CA: i have reg for may 2027 attempt just in case anything bad happens in cat exam . But idk if I will be able to clear ca at this point in time or not (if i clear, it would take almost years for me to complete the course which is already hectic at all.

2. One year mba : i am most into giving gmat as it is close to cat and i can prepare for next year round of admissions (for class of 2029) . But here comes a dilemma, my acads are relatively poor so i have talked with many people who said that acads mattee less in case of 1 year mba and workex matters more (which i have, dont have brand names but have a quality workex which i can prove in my interview) but many said that acads do matter as like 2 year mba

I want help to resolve this dilemma
Should i prep for gmat with hope for ISB/ABC next year or are they also out of reach like 2 year mba are

Thanks for reading all this :)

GMAT tests a lot of things.

Yes, it tests your fundamentals in Math, Verbal and Data. But it also tests your ability to execute under time pressure.

It tests your judgment in deciding the order in which you approach things.
It tests your time management.
It tests your strategic thinking.
It tests your ability to keep your nerves under control.

I’ve always been someone who prefers having easy, achievable and measurable goals.

I believe that, like most things in life, the most difficult things to do are often the simplest things to do — but with patience and discipline.

(Sorry, I’m back in my Warren Buffett reading phase in life :P)

Anyway, what’s the goal you set for yourself here to cut the noise?

For me, the answer was surprisingly simple.

I was trying to solve for one thing — and only one thing — during my prep:

Get the number of questions I get wrong as close to 0 as possible.

Even if I achieve 80–90% of that, I’m probably operating at a very high level.

And once you frame GMAT prep this way, a lot of things become fairly intuitive.

What do I need to get 80–90% of the questions right?

I need to look at 100% of the questions for that I need to manage my time properly.

I need to make sure I have enough mental bandwidth to solve the last section.

I need to cover the syllabus well enough that I’m not surprised by anything that comes my way.

I need to practise enough that the real exam becomes a repetition of my mocks.

“But GMAT is adaptive.”

I don’t really care.

My job is to figure out how to achieve my objective within the adaptive format.

“What about section selection?”

Same thing. Figure out the strategy that gives you the best chance of achieving your objective.

I chose to start strong rather than leave the easier sections for later when I was more fatigued. You need to get to this by trial and error!

“When should I start taking mocks?”

When I’m getting the accuracy I want without the pressure of a timer.

“How should I analyse my mocks?”

Compare them with my historical performance.

Am I getting better at managing time?
Am I eliminating the mistakes that cost me questions previously?

And most importantly:

Why did I get that one question wrong?

Because that one question is pulling me away from the goal.

That’s the mindset I found useful.

So if you ever feel lost during your GMAT prep, remember:

There is really only one problem you’re trying to solve.

Get the number of questions you get wrong to 0.

Everything else — mocks, sectionals, time management, strategy, syllabus coverage — is simply a means to that end.

Simple.